Jalandhar: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and several senior party leaders visited Jalandhar on Saturday, where they held an interaction with members of the Punjab State Traders Commission and the business community.
Addressing traders during the meeting, Kejriwal said the AAP government was the first administration in Punjab to actively listen to the concerns of small traders and business owners.
“Our government pays attention to even the smallest grievances of traders. The Chief Minister personally monitors their issues and ensures that officials work towards resolving them,” he said.
Kejriwal claimed that the AAP government had ended the practice of extortion and harassment of traders and was functioning with honesty and transparency. He added that businesses were now receiving a more supportive environment under the current administration.
The AAP leader also launched a sharp attack on opposition parties in Punjab, accusing them of focusing on political battles rather than public welfare. Without naming specific parties, he referred to rival groups using labels such as the “drug party”, the “sacrilege party”, the “ED party” and the “fight party”.
He further alleged that one political party had received ₹60 crore in donations last year, while AAP received only ₹70 lakh. Questioning the source of such funding, Kejriwal claimed that enforcement actions were often linked to political fundraising.
Later in the evening, Kejriwal, Mann and other party leaders were scheduled to attend a religious event at Sai Dass School Ground. The programme, organised by AAP leader Deepak Bali, was expected to feature performances by noted devotional singer Hansraj Raghuwanshi.
The visit comes as AAP intensifies its outreach efforts in Punjab ahead of future political challenges in the state.
